A Black Childhood
by Reaper-Maniac
Summary: Heir to the Black estate and boasting a good, pureblood family name, how is it possible that the brightest star of the Black family fell so soon? Marauders era. Canon
1. Chapter 1

**Snippets from Sirius Blacks life; from birth, childhood, Hogwarts and later.**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I don't own Harry Potter at all. All of it belongs to the magnificent J.K. Rowling, nothing at all is mine!**

Prologue / Chapter 1

The door swung open and closed with a snap. A brief slither of summer light entered the long corridor before being extinguished by the dark of the house. Lamps were suddenly illuminated by the appearance of the slender figure in the doorway, casting an orange, inviting glow. The portraits along the walls of the corridor suddenly awoke; startled by the sudden noise, as Walburga Black shrugged off her large, ostentatious black fur coat onto the floor. It was caught, just in time, by Kreacher who scurried off to place it by the Troll's leg stand, an antique they had acquired on their last holiday.

Walburga Black strode purposely up the stairs and down the corridor to the drawing room, a bundle clasped tightly in her arms. She pushed open the door to see a roaring emerald fire in the grate. There was a huge oak table littered with notes and papers, running right down to the end of the long room. At the foot of this enormous table was a very large man, concealed by the Daily Prophet - clutched in his pudgy fists, green cigar smoke drifting lazily over the top of the paper. A gold ring was wedged on his fat finger, embossed with the Black family crest, reflecting the light from the large windows.

"Darling," Walburga announced, "He is home." Her voice barely contained her immense pride of the little bundle in her arms.

With a sigh and a grunt, Orion Black put down the paper - cigar still hanging lazily out of his mouth. Orion Black was once a handsome man, although by now he was large and walrus-looking, with a monocle fixed deep in the folds of his flabby face. Instead of going fat, like her husband, Walburga Black's beauty was twisted by opposite means. She became dangerously thin which only emphasised her high cheek bones and cruel smile.

Orion's face suddenly exploded into an enormous grin. He rose and moved to Walburga, planting a large kiss onto her cheek then looked into the bundle where a small black haired, grey eyed baby stared up at them curiously.

"My first son" cried Orion happily, taking out his cigar and beaming at his child. "Everything went alright Walburga? Those Muggleborns at St Mungo's treat you alright?" The disgust in which Orion mentioned _Muggleborns_ suggested that he did not tolerate any witch or wizard lower than pureblood.

"Yes, yes." Said Walburga causally. "Everything went smoothly, and there were no Mudbloods in the room whilst I delivered him. I refused to be put in the same room as one." She said hotly.

"Smashing. Now, to business, what shall we call him?" Orion's brow creased in thought.

"What about Scorpius?"

"No..." said Orion, taking the baby boy from Walburga, staring keenly into his face.

"How about Cygnus?"

"Defiantly not!"

"Maybe Cepheus?"

"Hmmm..." Orion tilted the baby, as if it was an unknown substance that he wanted to experiment with.

Orion glanced around the drawing room. The ornate family tree embroidered on a magnificent tapestry on the wall was just visible from his position.

"I know!" Cried out Orion, startling Walburga "How about ... Sirius?"

Walburga looked impressed.

"That's perfect! How did you come up with such a name?"

Orion pointed to the tree where a few Sirius's were visible.

"He is perfect Walburga, and a son too! Why, when we pass away he will be the heir to this entire estate. I have high hopes, I mean look at him, he has the Black beauty. He will be a pureblood prince above all others."

Walburga flicked her wand towards a cabinet in the corner which was full of exceptionally expensive nettle wine and oak-matured mead. A bottle flew towards them with two crystal glasses. It poured itself into the two wine glasses and Walburga passed Orion a glass before taking one for herself.

"A toast to our son, sure to be a great wizard in the making. May he be a success in all that he attempts. In fact, I predict he will be known throughout the wizarding world by the time he is in his 30's!"

Orion chuckled. The idea of Sirius's fame pleased him greatly.

"Agreed" Orion declared proudly, raising his glass to the air. "To my son, Sirius Black"

**Apologies for any incorrect spellings, I am an aspiring dyslexic writer who struggles in this field!**

**Thanks for reading, please review if you have time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter does contain minor violence and themes**

**Thanks to Krikanalo for the encouragement!**

**Disclaimer – Nothing's changed since the last chapter, I still do not own anything!**

Chapter 2

Sirius Black had everything any child could ever want. A large house, a large room, very wealthy parents yet he was still unhappy. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to fit in with his family. His childhood came down to two things; high expectation and disappointment.

Sirius was a surprisingly unruly child from the start, even as a toddler he wouldn't listen to his mother's commands being too fascinated by a spoon or the noise from the Wizarding Wireless to pay attention to Walburga's screams or demands.

From the moment he could understand, all he knew was that great things were expected from him. If he couldn't talk yet, that wasn't good enough. If he crawled backwards first not forwards, that wasn't good enough.

Sirius never felt as if he was good enough only a continual disappointment to the Black family. Yet even just being in the Black family had its perks.

The Blacks used to take it upon themselves to take a stroll in London's Hyde Park grounds to show off with pride their beautiful son and heir.

Who could blame them? By the time he was three, Sirius was noticeably a beautiful boy. His smile along with his stunning grey eyes meant that he was able to charm even Florean Fortescue to get an extra scoop of his favourite vanilla and strawberry sundae.

It was on one of these strolls around Hyde Park's magnificent grounds when Walburga and Orion bumped into a couple they seemed to know. Sirius hardly paid them any attention, but was vaguely aware of their name being "Knott".

Instead, of politely bowing and standing upright, Sirius's attention was drawn instead to a children's playground where children his own age were being pushed on swings by loving noise of cheering and yelping was too much for a young Sirius to bare.

He tugged His father's respectable muggle suit.

"Dadda...Dadda..." He half whispered, still staring entranced at the other children.

"Not now," snapped Orion, turning back to the Knotts "That's delightful, a truly wonderful arrangement..."

"Mum..." He called instead, looking up from his small height to her, towering above him.

Walburga did not so much as glance at him and instead brushed him aside as if he was an irritating insect pestering her.

It was at this point when Sirius wondered off on his own. Still a little wobbly, but determined , he set off to the Children's playground.

He noticed something shiny and blue half concealed in the brown bark. Without thinking he picked up the treasure and discovered it was a piece of blue Lego which one of the kids must have dropped that day.

Without thinking, he pocketed his souvenir.

Forgetting about the Lego brick, he made his way to the slide, liking the look of its shiny silver, reflecting the high sun on the warm summer's morning.

As he was about to climb the steep steps, a girl about his age came hurtling down the slide quicker than she had expected and flew off the end, hitting the bark below hard.

The girl immediately burst into tears, sobbing as water spilled from her eyes and rolled down her chubby face.

Sirius was there in a flash. To this day, he wasn't sure what came over him. Surely he should have laughed, scorned at the girl's fall, but instead he found himself next to her helping her up from the bark and hugging the stranger tightly.

"It's ok," he said, gripping the young girl's jumper tightly in his embrace. "You ok?" He asked, looking into the blue eyes of the plump girl who to everyone at the parks surprise, including Sirius, smiled and hugged Sirius back.

Sirius laughed, took the girl's hand and waddled to the roundabout hoping to play with the girl on there...

"Sirius Black!" Came a loud, high screech.

Sirius froze, one foot on the roundabout.

He saw his vulture-like Mother push her way forward.

"Come here this instant!"

"But...but...Mum..." He said, but trying to explain is far too much for a three year old to attempt.

"How dare you run off, your father shall hear about this young man. And to think, shaming us in front of the Knott's; a respectable, pureblood family."

"It's ok," said one of the mothers stood close by. "He was just playing with my daughter they really seem to have..."

"Shut your mouth, muggle." Walburga snapped, eyeing the kindly looking woman with the utmost loathing.

"I don't think that was..." Began the woman, affronted.

"We are leaving, come Sirius." She grabbed his arm and pulled him furiously away from the crowd of disapproving women loitering around the playground.

The tight grip began to hurt his soft arm and Sirius began to cry out in pain.

His mother bent down and regarded him with fury; she leaned in, glaring at him.

"No tears, Sirius," she said, quietly, but the tone of the threat was ever-present. "You are a Black, we do not cry."

As he was pulled back to a waiting Orion, Sirius glanced back with misery to the girl in the playground. She was still stood on the roundabout looking around wildly around for her new friend.

Sirius never knew her name, sometimes when he was wide awake in his cold room he imaged meeting her again, moving the blue Lego brick between his fingers, remembering that day. Maybe he would meet her in Diagonal Alley, proving to his mother that she was a witch too.

After all, that was what it was all about. Blood.

Muggles where not respectable but dirty but all Sirius had wanted to do was play with them, to join in and have a laugh with those his own age.

The occurrence in the park marked the start of the "Talks" Sirius began to get about how others were inferior to his own race, how he needed to start showing magic soon, to prove he was not a squib. The talks always ended with the phrase "As a Black, this is the way you should behave."

The expectation always remained from that simple fact. His mum was constantly telling him to stand up straighter and lift his nose up more. One particular talk, his mothers favourite, was about the _inferiors_; muggles and muggleborns. These people who he was told never to talk to again, under any circumstance.

"They are not one of us" His mother said to him one day. "You are not to consort with such vermin. I will never allow a muggle, mudblood, werewolf, squib or a traitor into my house. I shudder to think of them." She said, wrinkling her nose in contempt.

They were in the basement kitchen having just finished their casserole. Orion was reading the Daily Prophet and complaining a few times about how muggleborns were taking up jobs of respectable pureblood families. Walburga was trying to force tiny baby Regulus to eat the last few mouth fulls.

Sirius was at first overjoyed to hear that he would have a sibling, but was more than disappointed with the result. Not only was he still the frustration and insult of the Black family, but now he had a conforming younger brother to highlight the issue.

Sirius was four now, his black hair sweeping across his young face, his feet dangling from the chair since they could not reach the floor yet.

"Why?" Sirius questioned innocently.

His mother looked out raged.

"What do you mean _why_?

"But why?" He asked again.

Walburga shuddered.

"Because they are impure, they are despicable, they are...scum!" She bent her face closer to Sirius's who cowered in his seat.

"These... _people_ do not deserve to live among us; only with pure blood can the magical race prosper. With the dirty blood of muggles and freaks alike, how are we supposed to go forward as a race to conquer?"

Sirius just sat there stunned at his mother's anger. He had heard her talk of muggleborns before, but never had he seen her so riled. He was still far too young to understand much about what his mother was talking about. One large fat tear trickled down his cheek.

Baby Regulus looked at Sirius. He was not nearly as handsome as Sirius was as an infant. He gurgled happily at the surroundings. Walburga's attention suddenly was sucked to him.

"Hello, my precious, and how is my little angel tonight? One more mouthful?"

Sirius looked away and angrily wiped the tear away, determined that no one should see his weakness. No one ever did see this.

After that night, Sirius spent many nights on his own in his room. He preferred solitude then hostile tempers. Sirius also was at times very frightened of his mum.

Angry and loud, his mum , Walburga, was hard to miss. She often shouted at little things that had no importance. Kreacher once served a meal slightly cold as the oven was at breaking point. When he tried to explain this, Walburga hit him around the head and shouted.

"Flithy, dirty beast." She cried, as she sprang to her feet. Kreacher crawled away holding his head in his arms.

It was at this point that Sirius swore to himself that he would never hit another creature, even a house elf.

His parent's attitude of complaining about everything and blaming the ones who were not pureblood confused Sirius. He could not see how people who looked the same as him could be any different.

When Sirius reached six, he became increasingly attached to his room, spending many hours alone, He was still too young to leave his house unsupervised and hid himself away, or else went exploring the old house.

It was on one of those quiet days when Sirius was lying flat on his back on the floor, with his feet propped up against his large four-poster bed.

He was moving the Lego from one hand to another looking at it carefully. If he concentrated hard enough he could make it change colour with a small _pop_. Blue, _pop_, green, _pop_, pink, _pop_, orange, _pop, _red...

The door opened and Kreacher shuffled inside carrying a pile of neatly ironed clothes.

"Here, Master Sirius" He rasped, setting the clothes down and opening the wardrobe to place them carefully inside.

"Thanks" Sirius muttered, hardly noticing the house elf.

"Food will be ready shortly, young Master. It is best if you wash your hands."

Groaning, Sirius got to his feet and plodded out of the room, never noticing Kreacher picking up the Lego brick behind him...

After dinner, Sirius made his usual excuses and got to his feet, ready to seek out the solitude of his room once more.

"One moment, Master Sirius," called Kreacher. Sirius turned around in confusion.

Kreacher moved forward from out of the shadows and placed a purple Lego brick on the table.

"What is this, Kreacher?" Said his mother impatiently regarding the brick.

"I found this muggle toy in Sirius room, he has been playing with it."

The room was silent for almost a whole minute. Sirius was immobile, too scared to leave.

Then Walburga got to her feet and moved to him. Sirius trembled where he stood. As she loomed over him, he gulped.

Without warning her hand came flying out of nowhere and backhanded him across the face. Sirius head snapped to the side and his cheek stung from where she had hit him. Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, he bit his lip, determined that they wouldn't not fall.

"You are not to play with such things. Do you hear me!?"

"Walburga, leave him."

"No Orion, he has to learn. I've tried my hardest to teach him to respect our view, and what does he do? Why does he have no respect for this family or its traditions..."

"But hitting him, darling?" Orion said, as he stood too.

"He must learn" insited Walburga. "As we all learned to respect our house and its principles. It should be second nature."

Orion sat down with a sigh and buried his face behind the prophet as he always did when affairs were out of his control. She raised her hand again...

"WAIT!" Sirius cried, his hands in front of his face, cowering. Walburga paused, her hand fixed in its position, ready to strike him again.

"I was using the brick to practice magic." He lied. "It was blue when I...found it. I've been changing the colour, look."

Sirius stared at it, concentrating with all his might. Then, with a _pop_ the purple brick went red.

There was a pause, all attention on the now red brick.

Regulus broke the silence with a giggle.

"Again, Siri, Again!"

The room suddenly broke into laughs and cries of glee. Orion stood and marched to Sirius and grinned down at him.

"My son," he announced proudly, clasping Sirius to his side. "A great wizard to be. I knew you had it in you, from the moment you began levitating objects from your crib, I knew you had magic in you."

Walburga's mouth thinned and she lowered her arm and gave a curt smile.

Kreacher looked dumb founded and Sirius caught his watery eyes. From that moment, Sirius realised Kreacher's loyalty was not to the house; but to his mother. Any sympathy he ever had for the elf was gone, and he never trusted the beast again.

"Let's get the wine!" boomed Orion. Sirius would have almost preferred his mother's reaction of barely concealing her contempt for him rather than his father's overzealous response.

Sirius made his way to bed relieved, feeling as though he had just averted a catastrophe, as he headed up the stairs. Walburga called him back.

"Sirius?"

He hovered on the bottom step, unwilling to stay for longer.

"I'm proud of you today, son" She said, stiffly. "You have proved you are a great wizard to be."

Sirius nodded and turned to go.

"But if you ever pick up anything of theirs again, you will sorely regret it..."

**Thanks for reading; the next chapter will see that tested! And with some introductions of more familiar characters.**

**Please review if you can, much appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! I'm thrilled with the response I have had so far! Thank you all so much for reviewing and reading this fanfic!**

**Krikanalo – Thanks for your continued support and corrections which I have (hopefully) all made. It was dialogue heavy as I split it up from another chapter and was edited from that, apologies.**

**Morpho Portis – Thanks I find him really interesting too, I have changed Regulus's name, my computer keeps changing it!**

**3wardluva – I know Walburga is one nasty piece of work! **

**Thanks Guest for your support!**

**Disclaimer – I still do not own anything! J.K Rowling owns all the characters, and the world of Harry Potter.**

Chapter 3

At the age of seven, Sirius was sick of his confinement at Grimmauld Place. During the muggle summer holidays, when the days were barmy and his parents wished him to be outside, he would often go into London. He would meander through the winding streets and enjoy the bustle of the city. He was fascinated by the muggle shops; the Post Office, banks and department stores.

On one of his evenings wondering London, he got a whiff of a peculiar smell. It didn't smell like food, instead it had a chemical odour. Sirius stopped, staring around trying to find the source of the smell. He rounded the corner and discovered a grey, industrial building faced him, with a large yard behind where loud noises and banging was audible. Sirius crept closer, his mind racing. He took refuge behind a large bin and from that angle he was able to be invisible from the road yet with a perfect view into the yard, through a gap in the iron railings.

The grey building had a large sign over it proclaiming _Mr McClean's Car and Motorbike Repair Garage._ There were men talking happily, while working on large saws or hammering into the metal bodies of the cars. Sirius stared; he had never seen anything so fascinating, the building of muggle transport. Best of all, thought Sirius, was the _Motorbikes_. One man had just finished fiddling under the engine of one before walking over to the man waiting and shook his hand, whipping grease from his gloved hands onto his grey overall. The man who had been waiting gave the man fixing it some money then, with a roar the other man revered the engine and wheeled it around. He raced around the corner out of the yard and was gone, leaving that wonderful exhaust fume smell in its wake.

Sirius was sure he would never have an afternoon like that again. He spent all afternoon and early evening crouched behind the bin, gazing with awe into the workshop, trying to work out just how they were fixing up the bikes and daydreaming of a future where he would have a bike of his own.

* * *

That night, Sirius was in a very good mood. He behaved well with his father, played with Regulus and didn't even argue with his mother about chores! Nothing could dampen his spirits.

Sirius spent as much time as he could that summer at the garage, peering through the gap in fence and trying to work up the bravery to go in, yet he didn't possess the courage...yet. Sirius had never wanted something so much in his life.

One day Sirius was in his room reading a book called 'Motorcycles for Beginners' which he had snuck out of the library. He still didn't completely understand it, the language was much too complicated for an eight year old and Sirius was unsure as to what a 'clutch' was. There was a muffled knock at his door when his brother tentatively opened it.

"Yes?" said Sirius tersely, not looking up from the book. Normally no one interrupted him if he was in his room.

"Hi," said Regulus, looking nervous, his peaky face peering around the door. "Can I come in...Please?"

Sirius sighed. He really just wanted to be on his own alone to read his book.

"'Suppose so," He said, putting down the book so that his brother could not see what he had been reading. He was sure that his parents wouldn't approve.

Regulus, sidled into the room standing awkwardly close to the door as if it was his escape route.

"I'm not playing another game of Gob-stones. I'm sick of that game." Grumbled Sirius.

Regulus just nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on Sirius. There was a pause.

"So... can I help you with something or are you just going to stand there like an idiot?"

"Mum...Mum was wondering if...if..." Said Regulus, looking at the carpet.

"What?" said Sirius impatiently. "Spit it out Regulus, I have better things to do then listen to you."

"She...She was wondering if...if you would like to come downstairs. We could all play Wizard Chess and be like...be like..."

"Like a what, Regulus? Like a normal family? Just sit downstairs like everything's fine. Like we're fine? We're not a normal family, brother, with her in it! Why don't you go sit down there and be the good little brother you always act like? How can you just down there and pretend that they are right!? 'Cos their not!" Sirius hadn't realised it, but he had ended his rant standing over Regulus, shouting.

A silence fell between the boys. Regulus was stood frozen in shock at Sirius's sudden flare of temper. Sirius looked down at his younger brother and realized that he had frightened him. Guilt flooded through him. Was his temper no better than his mothers?

A snuffling was heard behind the door and Kreacher shuffled in.

"Why Master Sirius, Master Regulus, why all the noise? Kreacher does not like to see his Masters arguing. Kreacher heard Master Sirius shouting at poor, young..."

"Get out, Kreacher!" Snapped Sirius, hurling the motorcycle book at him yet Kreacher had vanished before it struck him with a loud crack. Sirius turned back to Regulas, anger pulsating through him again.

Regulus trembled at the sight of his older brother. Sirius crossed the room and sank onto his bed, looking hopelessly at the canopy above him, feeling as if all the energy which had been flooding through him was suddenly drained. He turned his head to the side, noting a silent Regulus still stood there.

"I'm sorry Regulus." Sirius admitted quietly. "I...It's just frustrating. I just feel like I don't belong here, you know what I mean?"

Regulus shook his head.

"I love mummy." Regulas said quietly.

"I know you do." Sirius grumbled turning his head and looking upwards again.

"You know I didn't mean to shout, right?"

"Yes."

"Good," Sirius folded his arms. He didn't regret throwing the book at Kreacher, in fact, if he had his way, he could have thrown quite a few more books at the little beast. Long had he forgotten his promise that he would never hurt a house elf...

Wait! The book! Sirius leaped to his feet and ran to the door, looking around in vain to find the lost book. At that precise moment a scream of rage came up from below.

"SIRIUS! GET DOWN HERE _NOW!" _His heart stopped. He glanced at Regulus whose faced paled at their mothers screach.

"It's ok, little brother, I'm called Sirius not you" He joked, ruffling his brothers hair as he walked past. But his breezy attitude seemed to evaporate each step he took down to the drawing room. Now he was in for it. He walked slowly down the stairs past the beheaded heads of the previous house elves. Sirius couldn't help but think once his mum was done with him, maybe his head would among these. Sirius suddenly had a vision of his head nestled among them, yellowing, wrinkled and old.

He found his family in the drawing room. His mum watched him enter beadily, her arms crossed, wand sticking out of her front pocket. His dad was sitting in a squishy arm chair, reading the Daily Prophet but the way he watched Sirius enter meant Sirius was sure he had no intention of catching up on the news tonight. Orion frowned as Sirius entered, forming a deep crevasse in his flabby face.

Regulus had followed Sirius but crossed the floor swiftly and stood awkwardly in the corner, behind Walburga. The motorcycle book lay on the table between Sirius and his family.

"So!" His mother cried "So. Where did you get this book Sirius Black?"

Sirius looked uncomfortably at the floor.

"I found it." He said. "And I'm reading it." He said determinately, yet was still looking at the floor.

"FOUND IT?" Bellowed his mother. "Liar! You got this book from London, it is a muggle book." You were reading a book written by freaks! Dirty, good for nothing scum and..."

"Dear," Interrupted Sirius's father. "We brought Sirius down here for a reason, please. Let's say it before we go off track." Sirius looked at his father almost smiling glad for some support but his father's eyes where cold as if he too was very disappointed.

Walburga turned to him, steam practically pouring from her ears. Orion began quickly.

"I'm not saying I approve, dear, I don't. Yet Sirius is old enough to choose what he wants to read. He is too old for the Tales of Beadle the Bard now; it is time for him to make his own choices."

Sirius began to smile.

"But his next book will be more appropriate, I am I right, son?" Orion said, suddenly looking as dangerous as his mother. Sirius's smile faded and he nodded.

Orion looked satisfied and soon disappeared behind his paper.

"Yes," Replied Walburga, breathing hard, trying to control her ever-present temper. "Yes...Where was I? Oh yes," she took out her wand and walked over to the tapestry hung on the wall. She beckoned him forwards with an evil smile. He advanced cautiously, as if she was a dragon he didn't want to bait.

She touched her wand to a name, _Cedrella_ .

"I should have done this years ago," she muttered. "She deserved it back then too..."

With a blast like a cannon, the wand tip ignited, destroying the name and picture of Cedrella. Mrs Black was laughing coldly. Ash fell from the singe which was still smoking around the edges. It was now almost impossible to tell what had been there before.

"Why...?" Sirius began, his voice quavering.

"Because that little rat deserved it. She married a blood traitor, Septimus Weasley. They even had a son, who is now at Hogwarts. This." She said, gesturing to the blast mark. "Is what I am going to do with any traitor that ever leaves our family for any mudbloods, muggles or vermin." She said, and spat suddenly on the floor.

There was a twisted smile playing on her lips. She turned her wand on him, holding it right under his chin.

"I will do the same to you if you ever even think about leaving us for that kind. This book is filth, yet perhaps it is becoming of you." Walburga dropped the book into his hands with a look on contempt.

"Keep it out of sight of visitors; you will not shame this house with it. If I ever catch you sneaking out the house without my permission or guidance again..." She tapped the still smouldering hole in the tapestry. "Is that understood?"

Sirius was frozen in fear. He couldn't speak or move.

"Well?" Said Walburga, smiling sinisterly

"Yes," He whispered.

"Good. Now go to bed. We shall talk no further."

Sirius left as quickly as he could. When he rounded the corner he flattened himself against the wall. _Too close,_ he thought. He could not push his parents like that again. Still breathing hard he walked back up stairs to his bedroom.

He didn't sleep though, and had a restless night of day dreams about seeing himself getting blasted to pieces before his very eyes.

* * *

Sirius didn't confront his parents on the topic of race and blood for a while after that. He longed to have a distraction from the monotonous days he was starting to have. Being couped up for nearly two years meant that Sirius became more and more surly and quick tempered. Sirius despised being around his parents he was still frightened of them and unwilling to push his luck while he still called Grimmauld Place home.

A change came the next fortnight at the Kitchen table at breakfast. Orion suddenly burst out of the fireplace, brushing the ash from his robes, as is required when one travels by flu powder.

"Well, it's all sorted. Druella said she will be happy to come around this weekend. They will be staying just for one night, but of course we have plenty of space for all of them for longer if they prefer."

"Who is staying" asked Regulus, now six years old. Eating some toast at the table, looking up interested.

"Your cousin's," replied Orion, settling himself down on a chair across from Regulus with a grunt. "They are a little older then you but I'm sure you'll get on fine."

A sleepy Sirius entered, his dark hair falling elegantly around his handsome ten year old face. He didn't say anything when he entered just yawned widely then sat down and pulled the cereal towards him.

"Good morning Sirius, did you sleep well?" Said Orion politely, gesturing to Kreacher who moved at once to pour some orange juice into a glass for Sirius. Sirius scowled at Kreacher then rubbed the dark circles around his eyes, yawning again.

"As I was just saying Sirius, before you decided to grace us with you presence, your cousin's are coming this weekend. They are all are older then you though, Bellatrix 18, leaving Hogwarts by now, Andromeda, 16, and Narcisassa 14. They are good girls."

"Really?!" said Sirius, almost choking on his cereal.

"I thought you would be glad to have some company."

Sirius was indeed sick of just Regulus to talk to. He wasn't ever that close to his brother and despised how he was often trying to get Sirius to apologise to their mum. Sirius flatly refused.

"I have done nothing wrong." He repeated, doggedly.

Sirius didn't like how his mother was so often comparing the two of them. Or how he was the apple of her eye and he was forever the disappointment. _The one that should have been_.

A few days later, Cygnus and Druella arrived along with their three daughters. Bellatrix, tall with long, think, black curly hair. She had all the typical good looks that Sirius also possessed yet she had grown into a woman now with a strong jaw and heavily lidded eyes. Andromeda looked much like her elder sister, though her face was kinder with a happy, heart shaped faced and was more than a little bit clumsy. Narcissa was paler with long blond hair and a rather turned up nose.

Sirius shook hands with each politely then gestured them to sit down at the table.

Sirius smiled at Bellatrix and was about to keenly ask what she planned to do after she left Hogwarts. But as he eagerly opened his mouth Bellatrix turned, looking at him. Her eyes narrowed in dislike, she seemed to be looking at him weighing him up to see whether she would beat him in a fight. She gave a forced smile then turned away from him to engage Walburga in conversation.

Something about her unnerved him. Perhaps it was just nerves at meeting one so superior, but Sirius decided not to speak to her again that evening.

"I heard you've only just started Hogwarts, Narcissa, how is it? I can't wait to go. Is it true there are hundreds of secret passageways?" Sirius asked Narcissa, eagerly. She looked at him, her eyes brows raised.

"Of course," She said disdainfully. "It's a castle that's hundreds of years old, naturally there are secrets."

"Oh," Sirius said, feeling stupid. "Have you explored many of them?"

Narcissa shrugged coldly then turned back to Bellatrix whom she idolised and joined in with Walburga's conversation. Sirius noticed Narcissa sitting up straighter, laughing along with his mother and trying to act like the grownups.

Sirius had a sinking feeling that this evening wouldn't be as fun as he had hoped. He stabbed frustratedly at a carrot on his plate.

"I like your house" Said Andromeda, smiling. "It's very ...euh...big."

"Thanks," Sirius replied.

"Reckon it could get pretty unclean if you didn't dust it every day."

"The perks of having a house elf," Sirius grumbled.

Andromedra laughed and Sirius grinned to in spite of himself. They ended up sitting together all evening chatting away. Talking through dinner then upstairs in the drawing room while more wine was being poured. Sirius learnt a lot about Andromada, her hopes and dreams for the future, but they mainly discussed Hogwarts.

"And the food is just incredible," she exclaimed, munching on a piece of cockroach cluster from the bowl on the table. "And the grounds are vast. It has a lake too and a giant squid that lives down there!"

"What house are you in?" Asked Sirius in awe, picking up a piece for himself.

"Slytherin of course, everyone of our family has been in that house. It's like a tradition or something, been happening that way for as long as there were Black's." She paused. "You'll probably be in it too, with me."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully, maybe he could see Andromeda if he was in Slytherin. But glancing over to Narcissa and Bellatrix, who were laughing superciliously at the adult's jokes, he remembered the Lego brick, the motorcycle book and all of his parent's rants about the underclass of muggleborns. Sirius found himself wondering if a house with people like that was where he truly belonged...

**So we have just seen Sirius Childhood. Not the best a child could hope for! Chapter four is coming up soon with a trip to Diagonal alley! Please write a review to let me know what you are thinking. Of course the story hasn't set off much, yet!**

**Thanks again!**


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